Turbine-driven blower



F. H. C. COPPUS.

TURBINE DRIVEN BLOWER. APPLICATION FILED Aus.2,1920.

Patented Aug. 2%, 1922 entree EMNS at. 'c. corrus, or woncnsrna, aressacnnsnr'rs, assrenon rocorrus ENGI- NEERING AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY, PGRATKON F MASSACHUSETTS.

TQRBINE-DRIVEN me a z Be it known that l, FRANS H.- C. Corrus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vvorcestenin the county of Worcester andbearings whose lubrication tlommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement 1n a Turbine-Driven Blower, of which the fol lowing, together with the accompanying 'drawings, is a specification.

The presentinvent-ion relates to turbine; driven blowers, sometimes known as turbo blowers, in which a steam turbine has mounted on its shaft the fan or blades of a blower a such as is used for creating a forcedjdraft for boilers or for ventilating purposes.

The invention resides in improvements in construction of devices of this class by which the assemblage of the same as a unit is facilitated, and by whichproper and adequate lubrication of the rapidly rotating parts is insured; td this end the invention consists in the provision of means for overcoming the effect of suction on the lubricating devices, at the same time insuring against the leakage ofsteam or water fromthe turbine into the is essential.

Qther and further objects will be apparent 1 tion, and if desired, the exhaust steam from as the description proceeds, reference being had in this connection to the accompanying drawmg, the single figure of which is a vertical sectional view of a blowing unit, consisting of the turbine and the blo wer driven thereby. p

Referring to said drawing, the usual ar-. rangernent of parts in a device of thisvclass is shown, the same consisting of a turbine casing 1 containing a steam turbine 2 ofany well known construction; the shaft 3 of the latter carries a fan 4 whose blades rotate in the mouth of a surrounding casing 5. The casing 5 is ordinarily connected by struts 6 to the turbine'casing 1, in a unit constructhe turbine casing 1 may be discharged through a connection 7 longitudinally into the blower casing 5, in which it comniingles with the air which is forced lengthwise of said casing by the fan 4s For the support of the shaft 3 and its bearings, the turbine casing 1 has anintegral hub extension 8, the latter having a'bore 9 of larger diameter than shaft 3, said bore 9- heing recessed midway' of its length,- as

bearings 14: and 15. said ball bearings are held against similarly spaced shoulders 16, 16 on shaft. 3. After the assemblage of the shaft and ball bear-' 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A (301%- 1920. Serial n roams.

shown at 1 0, to provide an oil reservoir, as herelnafter described. The bore 9 of hub extension 8 has a continuous taper from its outer end to the point 9, this internal ta er corresponding to the external taper o a bearing housing or sleeve 11, which is snugly received withinthebore 9. -The sleeve 11,- at the outer termination of its tapered surface, provides a flange 12, which latter, when the sleeve is in'place, abuts the outer end of-the hub 8, to form a tight joint for the oil chamber or reservoir in saidhub; a series-of bolts of screws 12',pass1ng throu h the flange 12,

enter theend of the hub, an holdthe sleeve firmly in place. v I

The'bearing housin or vsleeve 11 serves for the assemblage of t e bearings and packings of the shaft'3, this assemblage'prefer ably' taking place before the housing is inserted in the hub 8. At each end, the housing 11 is counterbored to provide shoulders 13,13 for the outer raceways of annular ball The inner raceways of ings within the-housing 11, an annular ring or inclosure 17 is secured by screws 18 to the inner end of the housing, and a similar ring 19 is secured by screws 20 to the outer end of the housing, said rings 17 and 19 serving to retain the outer raceways of the ball bear-- ings-ls and 15 respectively in proper position, by means of their projecting flanges 21. The lubrication of the shaft 3 and bearings 14 and 15 is secured by means of a suitable oil ring 22, the latter passing through slots, not shown,'in the housing 11 and dipping down into a supply of liquid lubricant maintained-in the reservoir 10 of hub 8. This ring 22is assembled on the shaft, preferably in operative relation to a wide ll-shaped groove 23 therein, before the housing is put in place in the hub-8. When the assembled housing 1s inserted in the bore 9, a spacing sleeve 24: is slipped over the rear. end of shaft 3 and a packing ring 24 is inserted between sleeve24c and the hub of turbine 2, which latter is held in place by a nut 25 'on. the extreme inner end of shaft 3 3 Cooperating with the-s aced flanges of sleeve- 24: and'ring 24: isa anged packing ring 26,- the latter being'held in place by a ring 2? ervoir 10.

that is secured to the outer edge of a closure plate 28 having screws 29 which secure it to the inner open end of hub 8.

At the outer end of shaft 3, a spacing sleeve 30 is put in place, to space the inner raceway of ball bearing 15 from the hub 31 of fan 4, the latter being secured in position by means of a nut 32. With the structure assembled as shown and described, it will be noted that the cooperating packing devices 24, 24, 26, 27 and 28 form an exceedingly tortuous passage for any steam or water that shaft bearings, with the result that the escape of steam and waterin any quantity is effectually rounding the spacing sleeve 2 f and interposed between rings 17 and 27, prevents further passage of steam and water along the sleeve 24;, and directs the same into a passage 33 of the turbine casing.

In the operation of the mechanism, the oil ring 22is rotated frictionally by the shaft '3, and continuously carries up lubricant from the reservoir 10 into the interior of housing 11. This oil is transferred to the shaft 3, and travels outwardly on both sides of the V-shaped groove 23, being thrown off therefrom directions, whence it runs down and collects in the bottom of housing 11. A dam 34 on the bottom of said housing insures the access of this collected oil to both ball bearings 14 and 15, preventing its all running to one bearing, as might occur if the mechanism were not set perfectly level. The oil thus continuously supplied to the interior of housing 11 runs freely to the ball bearings 14 and 15 and, after passing therethrough, is returned by passages 35 and 36 to the res- The suction produced ,by the rotation of the fan 4 may have a tendency to create a partial of the extremely tight joints obtained by the tapering fit of the sleeve 11 in bearin 9 and the contact of flange 12 with the outer end of hub 8. Such a partial vacuum, unless means be-taken to prevent it, is extremely dangerousin a mechanism of this class, for the reason that it would draw the oil toward the outer bearing 15 and away from the inner bearing 14; the latter would passes in the direction of the retarded; a flanged ring 33 sur- 'the bore of said casing,

in opposite vacuum in the reservoir 10, in spitesuction, being ing spaced bearings at opposite ends of said shaft for the support thereof, said sleeve being insertible, with said shaft, in said casing, and having an external taper corresponding to the tapered bore of said casmg.

' 3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a casing having a tapered bore and a shaft, of a tapered sleeve providing spaced bearings at of said shaft for the support thereof, said sleeve being insertible, with said shaft, in and being provided at one end with a flange abutting the end of the casing for attachment thereto.

the combination with a casing having a tapered'bore and a shaft, of a tapered sleeve providing spaced bearings atopposite endsof said shaft for the support thereof, said sleeve being insertible, with said shaft, in the bore .of said casing, and being provided at one end with means for drawing it into the bore of said casing. I

5. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a shaft anda casing provided with a reservoir for lubricant, of a sleeve providing bearings for said shaft and insertible, with said shaft, into said reservoir, and means for maintaining said reservoir at atmospheric pressure.

In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a shaft and a casing provided. with a reservoir for lubricant, of a sleeve providing bearings for said shaft and insertible, with said shaft, into said reservoir, and means for preventing the creation of a vacuum within said reservoir.

7. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a shaft provided with means for creating a suction and a casing provided with a reservoir for lubricant, of a sleeve providing bearings for said shaft and insertible, with said shaft, into said reservoir, and means for preventing the cre ation of a vacuum within said "reservoir by the suction produced by rotation of said shaft.

8. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a shaft providedwith a fan and a casing provided with a reservoir for lubricant, of a sleeve providing opposite ends 4. In mechanism of the class described,

mamas bearings for said shaft and insertible, with said shaft, into said reservoir, and means for admitting air to said reservoir from beyond the zone of suction of said fan.

9. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a shaftprovided with a fan and a casing provided with a reservoir for lubricant, of a sleeve providing hearings for said shaft and insertible, with said shaft, into said reservoir, and a pipe open to atmospheric pressure extending from the interior of said reservoir to a point beyond the zone of suction of said fan.

10. in mechanism of the class described, the combination with a shaft provided with a fan and a casing provided w th a reservoir for lubricant, of a sleeve providing bearings for said shaft and insertible, with said shaft, into said reservoir, and a pipe extending from the interior of said reservoir to a point beyond the zone of suction of said fan for the admission of air and lubricant to said reservoir. l

11. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination with a shaft provided with a fluid pressure turbine element and a casing, of a sleeve providing bearings for said shaft and insertible, 'said'casing, and means-forproviding a tortuous passage between the turbine element and the said sleeve for preventing the access of the fluid pressure medium to said bearrams H. o; oorres.

with said shaft, into 

